Everything has Changed
by Spottedeyes
Summary: Innocent friendships with cats from other clans never end as expected. Skykit learns this first paw after she ventures out of camp for the first time and meets a WindClan kit. As she gets closer to the WindClan kit, she realizes that destiny is inevitable.


Allegiances:

ThunderClan:

**Leader: **Poppystar- Yellow tabby she-cat with white paws, muzzle, and a white tipped tail; Blue eyes

**Deputy: **Timberfoot- Big gray and brown tabby tom with green eyes

_Apprentice: Lakepaw _

**Medicine Cat: **Lightpool- Tan and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Softpaw_

**Warriors:**

Thrushfeather- Russet tom with darker tabby markings

Raintail- Blue-gray she-cat with a white tipped tail and blue eyes

Eagletalon- Brown and white tom with especially sharp claws and amber eyes

Mossheart- Black and white she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Barleypaw_

Tigerstripe- Black tom with a lighter gray stripe down his back and green eyes

Graystorm- Burly gray tom with amber eyes

Newttail- Petite gray she-cat with green eyes

Badgerfang- Handsome mottled tom with a white underbelly and amber eyes

Wildfur- Tufty brown and red furred tom with green eyes

Nettleclaw- Gray tom with brown streaks and blue eyes

**Queens:**

Deerleap- Brown and white she-cat with amber eyes _Kits: Skykit, Hazelkit, Dewkit, and Daisykit _

Appleheart- Pretty russet and black she-cat with bright green eyes _Kits: Kestrelkit, Brackenkit, Joey_

**Apprentices:**

Lakepaw- Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes

Softpaw- Fluffy white she-cat with blue eyes

Barleypaw- Big gray tabby with green eyes

**Elders:**

Ebonycloud- Once beautiful black she-cat with stunning blue eyes

Mousenose- Brown and gray tom with amber eyes

WindClan:

**Leader: **Quailstar- Gray and black she-cat with a white underbelly and green eyes

**Deputy: **Gorseheart- Sleek gray she-cat with bright blue eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Ravenwing- Lean black tom with amber eyes

**Warriors:**

Rosethorn- Pretty reddish white she-cat with blue eyes

_Apprentice: Rabbitpaw _

Shadefur- Light gray tom with amber eyes

Brightpool- White she-cat with brown patches and green eyes

Haresprint- Wire-coated brown tom with amber eyes

Mudears- White tom with brown ears and amber eyes

_Apprentice: Crowpaw _

**Queens:**

Leopardheart- Dappled brown she-cat with amber eyes _Kits: Ivykit, Dapplekit, and Ashkit._

**Elders:**

Blazeclaw- Big russet and black mottled tom with amber eyes

Dogtail- Rough-pelted gray tom with blue eyes

RiverClan:

**Leader: **Runningstar- Gray tom with green eyes

**Deputy: **Rippleclaw- Thick-pelted brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Berryleaf- Pretty white she-cat with black spots and blue eyes

**Warriors:**

Reedtail- Russet tom with green eyes

Sweetwater- Light gray and white she-cat with green eyes

_Apprentice: Fishpaw_

Stonestream- Light gray and white she-cat with blue eyes

Lizardpelt- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Sparrowflight- Dark brown and black tom with green eyes

Magpiefur- Black and white tom with green eyes

**Queens:**

Redbreeze: Red she-cat with blue eyes

Littleminnow: Small brown tabby she-cat with green eyes _Kits: Swiftkit, Brownkit _

**Elders:**

Petalflame: Pale gray she-cat with amber eyes

ShadowClan:

**Leader: **Nightstar- Black tom with dull blue eyes

**Deputy: **Thornleaf- Dark brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Barkpelt- Black and white tom with amber eyes

_Apprentice: Rockpaw _

**Warriors:**

Ambereyes- Dark gray she-cat with bright amber eyes

Stripepelt- Black tom with gray stripes and green eyes

Birchheart- White tom with black specks and amber eyes

_Apprentice: Leafpaw_

Toadjump- Brown tom with green eyes and powerful hind legs

Silverdawn- Pretty silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Elders:**

Twigclaw- Frail brown tom with amber eyes

Prelude:

An old brown and white she-cat moved silently through the snow, leaving a trail of prints. A moon hung low in the sky while a gentle breeze caressed her fur. Confidence radiated off the she-cat as she held her head high; she'd always loved leaf-bare. Everything was stripped down to reveal their modest, true selves as they underwent the cleansing process of rebirth.

A faint purr rumbled in her chest as she remembered how _he _liked green-leaf the most. _He _was the one who helped her see the beauty of green-leaf, insisting that everyone and everything reached its peak during this time. _He _always thought leaf-bare was the Dark Forest's season, draining the potential out of everything. She shook her head as she recalled _his _bored expression when she told _him _her views on leaf-bare. _He _had told her she thought way too much, and that her views sucked the fun out of everything.

Everything about _him _made her happy and more eager to get back to _him_. She hadn't seen _him _in seasons; it pained her to be away from _him _for so long. Even though it was wrong in every way possible, she still liked _him _more than she should. _He _always helped her through everything.

The deaths, the failure, the starvation, the wars, everything.

She still liked to think she was always there for _him _too. She wasn't the only one who had bad things happen to her, after all.

_He _had lost plenty of cats and battles; no cat was like the flawless fabled warriors the elders told kits about. They didn't exist.

As the old she-cat trudged through the snow, the cold seeped further up and into her bones. She paid it no heed, the memory of_ his_ handsome soot-colored pelt and _his_ deep blue irises keeping her plenty warm.

Besides, she didn't need warmth where she was going.

She still couldn't believe that _he _had chosen her out of all the other doting she-cats. Nothing was out of the ordinary, her pelt was just as nice as any other ThunderClan she-cat's, yet _he _picked _her_. It still gave her sparks of happiness to know that; it willed her to go on after he stepped out.

She was nearly ready to greet _him _again, run through _his_ territory with their pelts brushing. She wanted to race _him_ again, have _him_ mock her sluggishness. She wanted to climb a tree and tease _him_ until _he_ chased after her.

And somehow, she knew it was going to happen again. _He_ would light her way, and she would light _his_ way. Just like the good old days.

Her heart lurched, and not in the good way. The elements were getting to her, and there was no going back now. No one but _him _could save her now. Even if a clanmate got to her now, it would be far too late. She was succumbing to the cold, and she wasn't ready to. When she left, she was sure it was time, but now… she wasn't ready. She never told her deputy how important he was to her, or thank her medicine cat for all the times she took care of her, she never thanked her warriors for their services. She wasn't ready, but it was too late.

Her breathing thinned and grew shallower with every breath. The stars seemed to glow brighter, their radiance enrapturing her. She collapsed onto the earth, scattering little sparkles of frost in her wake.

"No… not… ready… yet… please…." She murmured, sucking in another raspy breath.

Her eyes slowly started to close as StarClan rebuked her pleads. She was going now, and not even _he _could delay her departure any more.

A familiar warmth filled her when she felt the touch of _his _muzzle rubbing against hers. She gave a light purr as her body gave one last violent shudder. It was over now.

**Sorry it was so short! (All my preludes tend to be short) The next one will be longer (:**

**~Spotty**


End file.
